Gabriella's Gone
by crazybrunette113
Summary: Troy's life couldn't have gotten any better. Yet, it got worse. The women of his dreams was ripped from his arms....and his life, leaving chaos behind. [Troyella]
1. Difference Between Reality and Dreams

Troy sat there, silently, waiting for her to say something….or at least open her eyes and move…something that showed that she was alive. Her beautiful chocolate brown hair was pushed out of her face, her lips staying still, not even quivering with every breath she took.

"Mr. Bolton, there's someone I would like you to meet." a nurse said, wheeling in a cart that served as a bassinet to a beautiful baby girl wrapped in a pink blanket. Troy tried to smile, but his face was too sore from shock. He took the baby in his arms, rocking her back and forth beside her mother.

"You look just like your mother….did you know that? You have her eyes and her nose……girl, you have her whole face." he told the baby playfully, smiling as a tear dripped down his face, landing on the baby's tiny hand. "You're so……amazing." Troy huffed, catching his breath.

"Sorry to interrupt your father-daughter bonding, but this little guy was getting lonely." another nurse replied, pushing over another cart holding a baby boy. As she left, Troy picked the boy up and held the two babies in his arms, wishing she would wake up from her sleep to see him juggling the little beings.

"Twins….wow. How are we going to do this?" he asked, eyeing his children as they squirmed in his hands. "But daddy is gonna do this. You guys have faith in me, right?"

"Of course they do." a voice answered. Troy jumped in his seat, scared to death. He turned to find the whole group filing into the room, filling it to it's maximum capacity. He smiled, glancing back at the babies.

"They're beautiful." Taylor whispered behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Do they have names?"

"Yeah. The girl is Zoey Marie and the boy is Charlie Alexander." he nodded as Taylor indicated that she wanted to hold one. He handed her Charlie and then handed Zoey to Chad, who was standing near by.

"She's perfect." Chad told him as the girl wrapped her hand around his index finger. "They're both perfect." Sighs and muffled cries filled the room as silence conquered the atmosphere.

"We're here for you….you know that, right? Anything you need…." Kelsi said barely audible. She moved closer to Jason, hugging him tighter with every second that passed.

"I know. Thanks guys….for everything. I don't know what I would do without you." Troy commented, receiving both babies from his friends. He, momentarily, placed them back into their temporary bassinets and hugged each of his friends, thanking them silently. _Back to silence_, he thought, sitting back down by her bedside.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything…." a high-pitched wish broke the uncomfortable silence as Troy looked up to see his parents making their way over to him.

"No, no. They just came in….here." he answered, watching his mom and dad die over the sight of their grandchildren. "This is Zoey Marie and this…is Charlie Alexander." Troy pointed them out.

"Those are wonderful names. They're so cute." his mom cooed, then focusing on her broken son. "Troy….I'm so,"

"Please, mother, don't. At least not now." he stopped her, turning back to the body lying in the bed.

"Excuse me, but the twins need their baths and then they need to be checked up on….eventually being fed. That's not a problem, is it?" a nurse waltzed into the room, taking the children away after getting the approval of their father.

"I-I….I don't know what to say, son. Other than I'm sorry." his father said, pulling him into a hug in which his mother added to. Troy refused to let his parents get to him….he had children now, he had to be strong for them. "We're gonna head out now, okay? Call us if you need anything…please." Troy nodded, returning back to the uncomfortable silence that lingered in the room. He resumed his place of the bedside chair. He grabbed the soft hand that laid still, squeezing it tightly.

"Well, they're here……and they're perfect. Zoey, the girl, looks just like you Gabs…..she has your eyes, pretty much your whole face." he laughed, kissing her hand. "The boy, Charlie, he……well, I don't know who he looks like. I think he has my eyes, though….I'll give you that." he paused, swallowing his tears. "The gang stopped by. Chad and Taylor even held the babies, they were so comfortable with them. My parents just left and your mom stopped by briefly to see them, they were all so proud. I-I just wish you were here to see it." Troy hung his head, her hand touching his forehead. His pain finally surfaced, tears emerging like rockets being shot. "I don't know how I'm gonna do this without you, Gabi. I mean, how am I supposed to know what's wrong when they cry or what kind of trouble they're getting themselves into….that's your job. I was supposed to be the cool dad, the one that gave them cool toys and gadgets or the one that taught them basketball. I don't think I can do it." Now, Troy was sobbing, soaking the blanket in tears.

"You'll do fine. I know it." her voice filled the room. Troy whipped around to find her glowing in a white, satin dress.

"Gabriella…." he answered, shooting up out of his seat.

"It's me. I'm so sorry, baby. But, I know you can do this……you're so strong. Plus, you've got all our friends and our parents….they'll do anything to help." she nodded, inching closer to him.

"Please tell me that you're not dead….that you're gonna come back to me and to our children because they need you. _I_ need you…..I love you." he whispered, pulling her closer by her waist. His hands rested on her hips, as hers rested on his shoulders. She shook her head……she was gone forever. "No, no. You can't be………this must be a dream or something. I've got to wake up…it's just a nightmare, that's all." Troy started to panic, still holding Gabi's waist as he pinched himself or slapped his face….some form of waking up.

"No…it's not. But, you're going to be a great father to those two little kids, our children. And I'll always be with you……in here." Gabreilla said, placing her hand over his heart. He smiled, tearing up again as he looked into her teddy bear eyes.

_"You did it, babe. They're so perfect…I'm so proud of you." Troy told Gabi after the delivery of the twins. She smiled faintly, closing her eyes slowly. Troy just thought that she was resting, but a loud beeping noise filled the room, sending the room into chaos. "Gabi….Gabi? What's going on? Gabriella, can you hear me!" Nurses and doctors rushed beside her, pushing Troy into a corner._

_"Sir, we need to wait out in the hallway…" a resident ordered, but Troy refused. "Please, just until we know what's going on." The resident pushed Troy out into the sea of friends and family waiting in the hall._

_"She's my wife! Please, you have to let me in!" he shouted through the glass window. Fear took over his body as he turned to face his friends and his parents, crashing to the ground._

_"What's going on?" Ms. Montez asked scared. Troy shrugged and she started to cry up against one of the plain, white walls._

_"What do you mean you don't know what's going on? Is it something bad?" Sharpay replied in horror. No one responded, leaving her question unanswered until an orderly appeared before them._

_"Mr. Bolton…." she said as Troy gathered himself off the ground. There was a moment of anxiety and fear in what she was going to say next. "I'm so, so sorry." That's all it took to push him off the edge. They all stood there in shock, eventually crying, realizing that Gabriella would never grace them with her presence again._

_"You're joking, right? I mean she was fine a minute ago……she just had twins!" he shouted upset. The orderly didn't care to explain, she knew he was just venting. He held his hands up to his head, spinning around, trying to grasp the idea of his wife dead. "I…what…..how……I have to go somewhere." He turned his back and left the ward, going outside for some fresh air. His hair blew in the wind and he swore he could hear her whisper an "I love you" to him. His emotions swirled inside of him, tears began to run down his face and his body trembled. "Why did you have to die, Gabi? Why leave me here clueless?"_

_"She didn't want to go, you know that…" Chad came up behind him. Troy glanced over at him….he just wanted to be alone._

_"I don't know how I'm gonna do this, man. Twins!...I have to raise twins by myself." he broke down as Chad hugged him, offering his support._

_"We'll all pitch in. Whatever you need, we'll be there." Chad answered, slapping Troy on the back, as Troy nodded._

"Troy, are you okay?" Gabriella brought him back to reality. Troy looked at her sarcastically.

"My wife is dead and I have to raise twins. You really think I'm okay?" he said as she chuckled. He sighed. "I miss that. I miss this, you. Why, baby, why?" Gabi turned her head away so she was facing the window and then looked down at her body lying in the bed beside Troy.

"I don't know. You were talking to me and then the next thing I know, I'm here, right now with you looking at my body. Just know that I love you so much and tell the twins that I love them. Never let them forget that, okay?" she answered, pulling Troy into a deep, passionate kiss.

"I defiantly miss that." he whispered in her hair as she pulled away slowly.

"I do too. But I have to go….." she began.

"No, please. Stay with me……" he interrupted, pulling her back to him and gave her another kiss. But, she quickly broke it.

"I love you so….so much. And I love our children. I'll always be with you, never forget me." she said softly.

"I could never forget you. I love you." he started to cry again, _now I get to lose her all over again, _he thought as she faded away, repeating "I love you". And then she was gone….again. He returned to the chair and looked at the frail body as reality finally sunk in………

He was alone, well he had two kids…..but not Gabriella.

**A/N: I don't know if I should continue this. If I did, then there would be one more scene with the twins as babies and then it would go to years later. What do you think?**


	2. Cold Silence

Troy was alone once again, staring at his wife's body, with that same uncomfortable silence still lingering in the room. The feeling of losing Gabriella, not once, but twice killed him inside. It probably killed everyone initially, but him the most.

"You look so peaceful…" he told the corpse. "…and beautiful." The door creaked open, revealing another nurse pushing two carts intro the room.

"They're yours for the night." She said as Troy thanked her with a nod. "Goodnight sir." And with that she left, leaving the family behind in darkness. Troy stared down at his children snoring in their cart things and smiled, then looked back at Gabriella's body.

"You know, they even snore like you…" he laughed silently, trying to find something to talk to her about, other than the fact that she was dead and not with him anymore. "I-I'm sorry, babe, but what am I supposed to say? I thought that these kids would take my mind off of you, but it just makes me think of you even more." Tears streamed down his cheeks and his voice began to tremble, making it harder and harder for him to say anything. He finally gathered the pieces of him together and positioned himself next to her on the bed, embedding his head in her hair and slowly drifted off to sleep, occasionally waking up every hour or so to check on the twins. Both were sound asleep, not even an explosion could wake them. His eyes gave into the gravitational pull placed upon them, surrounding Troy's world with darkness.

_"Troy…." A voice whispered into his ear, jolting him awake. He fell off of the bed, landing on the cold concrete floor as he peaked over the bed. There she was again….glowing like she had before. Her grin/smile lit up the room and her hair blew like there was a breeze._

_"What….you've got to be kidding me! I thought that…..oh my gosh." Troy scrambled to his feet, contemplating her presence over and over again in his mind. She walked towards him, her dress swaying with every movement. Pulling him closer by his belt loops, her hands moved their way up across his chest and up to his neck. Her lips caressed his, soothing his heartache and restored his heartbeat back to normal._

_"You're supposed to be dead." he spoke softly, pulling away for just a brief moment. He kissed her again and this time when they broke away, she looked up into his ocean blue eyes. She smiled, blinding his vision with her pearly white teeth._

_"Silly, I am……" she grinned as he pushed her away suddenly. "Baby, what's wrong?" Troy stood there, looking for the twins who were no where in the room. The room began to close in around him and he had a harder time breathing. "I am dead…I am dead….I'm dead, Troy. What did you think?" Gabriella screamed, her face growing bigger and bigger._

"Sir….sir. Are you okay?" a nurse rushed over to Troy's side, shaking him to wake up.

"Yeah, yeah. I-I just had a bad dream, that's all." he answered, getting up off the bed.

"You screamed so loud, I'm surprised the twins didn't wake up. It sounded like someone was murdering you or something." The nurse explained.

"It was something like that….but I'm fine." Troy assured her, watching her walk towards the door.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked just before closing the door. He nodded and the door shut quietly. He sat down in the chair next to the babies and watched their chests rise and fall with every breath. Their tiny little hands fussed around their mouths and their feet kicked quietly every once in a while.

"You're _not_ okay." Gabriella told him as she stood by the door.

"Oh god. Please tell me this is just a dream…." he replied irritated, placing his head in his hands.

"This isn't a dream, Troy. It's me…." she answered, not moving any closer just in case she freaked him out.

"Well you need to go…right now. I-" he sighed. "I can't do this anymore….." He waited a moment or two before looking up at her. She was in the same outfit as she was earlier that day and in his dream….the white dress and her hair hung just below her shoulder, curled.

"I'm not going anywhere." she whispered, stepping closer with every word just as Troy climbed higher and higher onto the bed.

"Don't even think about it……just go. I can handle this." he scolded. Gabriella stepped back, almost crashing into the twins' carts. Stopping herself, she turned to face her children, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I never said you couldn't. In fact, I **know** you can." she said softly, bending farther down to look at the twins. "They're so beautiful…." she paused, stroking Zoey's bare head. Troy cleared his throat and smiled at her as she looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry. Guys aren't beautiful….they're handsome. Therefore, she's beautiful and he's handsome. Better?" She let out a small laugh, leaving the twins sleep and walked over to the bedside chair. "I take it, this is where you spend most of your time, right?" Troy nodded and she pulled a small smile/grin on her face.

"I'm sorry…about the way I greeted you. I had a really bad dream." he explained, climbing down from the headboard and sat next to her body, which was growing colder and colder. The pigment in the skin became faint and her hair lost it's bounce/shine.

"I know. I was in it, wasn't I?" she answered, lowering her smile and her head.

"Yeah. I just….it's just that….you're there! You're everywhere now, I can't seem to……" he stuttered, trying to find the right words to say so that she would understand.

"You can't get me out of you head, right? Everywhere you turn, I'm there." Gabi completed his thought, looking up.

"I don't want to though. I just want to see and dream about the person I fell in love with, not someone who boasts about them being dead. You know…I mean, I-" he explained just as Zoey let out a little cry and Troy rushed to her side, picking her up slowly. He brought her back over to where Gabriella was sitting and stood there, rocking her back and forth and then he resorted to bouncing her up and down. Her big brown eyes glared at him as her hands hit his chest and arm softly. "You're going to grow up to be just like your mommy, yes you are!" he told her in a baby voice, tickling her stomach. Gabriella watched him with gratification….he was so good with her.

"May I?" Gabi interrupted the father-daughter bonding moment.

"Can you, I mean…." he asked as she nodded her head and she held out her hand for him to take, just to make she was real for the moment. Her soft, tan hand, rubbed against his and he handed Zoey to her mother. The baby cried for a split second, then settled in her mother's arms. Gabriella's smile lit the room, the sun couldn't even be brighter. Zoey's eyes were wide open, staring at her mother's illuminated face, her hands poking at Gabi's teeth.

"Hi baby girl….mommy's here." she squeaked, rocking the chair back and forth to put the child back to sleep just as her brother decided to let out a cry for attention. "Uh oh…someone feels left out." Troy picked his son up and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing the girls and let out a sigh. "What?" she asked concerned that something was wrong.

"Now _this_ is how it's supposed to be…." he whispered, gazing down at Charlie's round baby face and then looked into Gabriella's teddy bear eyes. "….me, you, holding the twins. This moment….this was how it was supposed to be forever….you and me, alive." Gabriella's eyes started to tear up, becoming glassy.

"I-I can't do this anymore. Take her." she pushed Zoey into Troy's chest and walked over towards the window, tears starting to stream down her face. Troy, however, struggled to get over to the temporary bassinets as he juggled each twin in one of his arms. Once placing them in their carts, he strode over to Gabriella.

"Hey….talk to me. What's wrong?" he turned her around, placing his hands on her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Me….that's what's wrong, Troy. You even said it yourself……I'm dead and I'm not supposed to be." she sobbed into his chest and she stayed there for the next few minutes, crying as Troy held her comfortably in his arms.

"No one's supposed to be dead, baby. Well, except maybe for old people, but that besides the point. Look, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way….I didn't mean to, you know that. I'm just confused." he said lightly in her hair as she pulled away slowly. Gabriella looked up at him with a grin/frown for no apparent reason.

"Confused? About what?" she asked, pushing a stray piece of his brown hair out of his eyes. He smiled.

"You've got to be kidding me, right? What am I supposed to do, Gabi? Do I take them home and never talk about you or do I just give up on them and me?" he screamed softly, turning away and faced the nightscape of downtown Baltimore. The bright lights that lit the city became blurry in Troy's vision, his eyes glassy with tears of distress.

"GIVE THEM UP! You can't be serious! These are our kids you're talking about. And even though I'm…well, you know, you can still tell them about me…." Gabi explained angrily. She put herself in front of him and turned his attention to her eyes rather than the city.

"I never said anything about giving them up……I mean, I've thought about it, but I wasn't going to do it…….it wouldn't be fair to them." he answered alarmed.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just didn't hear you right." she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist, tightly hugging his body.

"It's okay……." he told her, pulling her chin up with his left hand while his right hand moved up under her neck. And then they kissed, deeply and passionately. Pulling away, they both smiled and then she backed away towards the door. "What are you doing?"

"I have to….." she began, stopping at the twins' carts. She bent down and kissed each forehead, whispering "I love you" in their ears.

"Not again……you can't tell me there isn't something that you can do to come back, bargain with Him or something." Troy pleaded, grabbing her arm right before she headed out the door.

"You know that I would do anything to come back, believe me….I've tried everything. This is the closest thing." she told him, ripping her arm away from him. "Just, please……" she rose up to kiss him, slowly interlocking her lips with his as he deepened the kiss. "Know that I love you and I'll always be with you…..in your heart." she whispered in his ear after pulling away. He looked at her flirtatiously and smiled as she walked back into the brightness of the white hallways, eventually fading away.

**Hey guys……I loved the first chapter of this story, so I just wrote a continuation. Please tell me if you like it and if not, then I'll take it off and then just leave it a oneshot. I have a plot in mind….if this goes anywhere….**

crazybrunette


	3. I Still Believe

Chapter 3 – I Still Believe

Charlie and Zoey were all ready to leave the hospital…they had been there for at least three days (not counting when they were born), which seems like nothing, but to two babies…it was a lot. Gabriella's body had been taken off to the funeral home the previous day and Troy wasn't the same, which could be expected.

"All right you two, you ready to get out of here?" Troy smiled down at his kids on the bed as he finished putting Zoey's pink socks on.

"I think they're ready, daddy." A voice filled the room again, but this time it wasn't his dead wife's soothing voice. He turned and saw his mom and dad coming into the room with a basket filled with stuff.

"We brought you something…" They set it down on the small table beside the bed and his mom pushed her way over to her grandkids. "Hi sweetie pie…" She began to tickle Zoey's stomach and the baby let out a little giggle and started smiling, or tried to.

"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I can do this, by myself." Troy snapped as he looked at the contents in the basket…all baby stuff, not that he didn't already have all of the things, but he could've used the extras.

"I know, I just…"

"We feel helpless, Troy. We just want to do something that can help you." his father interrupted as he picked Charlie up and rocked him in his arms. "We can't stand to see you like this and know that we can't do anything about it. Just…let us do something." Troy looked at the desperation written on his parent's faces and sighed.

"I'm gonna need a babysitter sometimes…" he said and their faces lit up. "But, Gabi's mom is gonna help too…it's not just gonna be you two, okay?" They nodded and each smiled down at the designated baby in their arms.

"Here, we'll carry the babies to the car and you can grab everything else, okay?" Troy agreed and then they were gone. He looked back one last time and tears rose up to his eyes. His mind was flooded with the memories of Gabriella on the bed, laughing as she waited to deliver the twins…her smile, her eyes glowing…it was all too distant now. He walked across the line that began the hallway outside and then turned back, breathing a light sigh as he shut the door.

"You okay?" his father asked as Troy packed up his SUV and made sure that the twins had everything they needed. He nodded. "Okay. Well, do you want us to follow you home, just to make sure you get there?"

"No. I said I could do this on my own…you've got to let me try." His parents both had that smirk on their face that meant satisfaction and Troy smiled. He hugged his parents, saying a thank you to each as they parted their ways.

The car ride was silent, that silence seemed to follow Troy wherever he went, but it never affected the twins…they were sound asleep. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and turned the radio on a low volume…he didn't care what song it was, just as long as he couldn't hear himself think.

They arrived at the house within an hour, the twins still asleep as he pulled into the driveway. He yanked the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car, moving over to the next door down to get the twins out. He had one carrier in each hand and kicked open the door once he had unlocked it. Chaos was all that filled his mind as the evening slowly passed by. Luckily the twins had noticed and decided to take turns on their needs. Charlie would cry first and his sister would wait until Troy was ready for her cry of attention…Troy was enjoying it actually.

The twins were in bed by 7:00, comfortingly resting in their bassinets located in Troy's room. He stayed in his room the rest of the night, watching TV from his medium sized hanging in the corner of the room. He channel surfed and stopped at Jeopardy, Gabriella's favorite quiz show.

Oh, mmm, mmm  
There are times  
I swear I know you're here  
When I forget about my fears  
Feeling you my dear

He envisioned Gabi lying up against his body, her head resting on his chest as she silently guessed at the questions and usually got them right, especially during high school week.

"In which movie were Demi Moore, Nick Cannon, Elijah Wood, and Martin Sheen cast to help tell the story of one president's brother?" Alex read one of the questions to the girl from a Californian high school.

"Bobby." Troy heard, but saw no one.

Watchin over me  
And my hope seeks  
What the future will bring  
When you wrap me in your wings  
And take me...

As 9:00 rolled around, Troy expected one of his kids to make some sort of plea…but no…they were gone for the rest of the night, which happened to worry Troy more, but he shook the nerves away. The TV provided a distraction for him, but it ended up making him think about her more than he planned.

Where you are  
Where you and I will breathe together  
Once again  
We'll be dancing in the moonlight  
Just like we used to do  
And you'll be smilin' back at me  
Only then will I be free

_"Dance with me…" _The transparent couple in front of him locked hands and swayed to their imaginary music_. Troy was dressed in a nice black suit while Gabriella had on the finest white dress, complete with her hair down in tighter curls than usual_. It was the date in which Troy had proposed to her…just before he popped the question.

_"Gabriella…" Troy pulled away slightly as she looked up into his eyes with anxiety._

When I can be  
Where you are

_"Troy?…are you okay?" Gabriella pried as Troy stared at her, trying to figure out how to put the question the right way and still have it be romantic enough. "Troy?"_

_"I'm fine." he responded quickly. "Gabi, from the moment I met you…well, I've always known that you were different…" She looked at him weirdly, "but a good kind of different…" She nodded in approval. "You've been the one to push me into things where you know I'll succeed, but I'm too stubborn to pursue them. You've been the one to help me in crisis' and you've been the one to give me the best laughs that I've ever had." He took a deep breath, sighing as her eyes shined with delight and confusion. "Now I want my turn. I want to give you everything you've ever wanted…including a lifetime of happiness and love. So…" He got down on one knee, taking her hand down with him and looked up at her smile. "Gabriella Montez…will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"_

And I can see your face  
Your kiss I still can taste  
Not a memory erased

_"Yes!! Of course!" Gabi exclaimed, watching Troy smile with joy as he slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her into the longest kiss ever. When they pulled away, neither one could believe what had just happened._

_"We're getting married!" Again, she smiled and he looked at her with his sultry blue eyes as a tear slid down her perfectly lit face. Taking his hand, he stopped the tear with his thumb just before it hit her glossy upper lip and then pressed his lips against hers again, catching her off guard, but she returned it, deepening it._

Oh, I see your star  
Shining down on me  
And I'd do anything  
If I could just  
Be right there

Troy got up off of his bed and stood by the window that overlooked Gabriella's garden in the backyard. The natural lighting of the sky and stars illuminated the roses and the other assortments of flowers perfectly. He looked up at the sky and could see her smile drawn out in the stars, bringing him to soft tears.

Where you are  
Where you and I will breathe together  
Once again  
We'll be dancing in the moonlight  
Just like we used to do  
And you'll be smilin' back at me  
Only then will I be free

_"Gabriella…" The priest motioned for her to take her turn in saying her vows. Troy and Gabi had chose to write their own vows…to them it was that much more special._

_"Troy…" she stated, smiling through the joyous tears in her eyes. "Troy, Troy, Troy…I don't know where to begin." The guests laughed, causing Troy and Gabi to crack a small smile amidst all the seriousness. "When you proposed to me, you said that you wanted to give me everything I've ever wanted." She paused and grabbed a tissue from Taylor behind her. "You're all I want…and ever since we met, you're all I've ever needed. You're there by my side when I need you the most, you wipe away my tears, and you joke around to cheer me up….there's nothing else that I could ever ask for…no girl in this world would ever ask for anything more. You're sensitive, but in a manly way, and yet you're serious when it's necessary." Troy stared into Gabi's glassy eyes, drowning out the small laughs from behind him just so he could indulge himself in his soon to be wife's words. "We've had our so called "bumps in the road", and what couple hasn't?…but we've been able to survive them, our love growing stronger with each obstacle. When I'm with you, I know everything will be okay…and that nothing can destroy us, we're invincible." Another pause and then it was time for the home stretch. "I love you Troy Bolton. And I promise to give you what you've always wanted….just like you have promised me. I promise to care for you when you need it….but most of all, I promise to love you. For two will always be stronger than one. And love will always be the guiding force in our lives….for tonight we announce to the world of feelings long held, promises made in the sacred spaces of our hearts."_

Then I will be free  
So take me where you are

Now baby there were times when selfishly  
I'm wishing that you were here with me  
So I can wipe the tears from your eyes  
And make you see  
That every night while you are dreamin  
I'm here to guard you from a far  
And anytime I feel alone  
I close my eyes and dream of

He walked quietly by the bassinets and through his memory back over to the bed. Lying down, he rolled over on his side and curled up into a ball as he finally let the tears take over. Sobbing silently, he wished that she would come back and tell him everything would be okay, he needed to hear those words…everything would be okay, combined in the same sentence.

"Gabi…" he called out softly, not wanting to wake up the twins. His hands covered his face and then he reached for a pillow to rest his head on. But instead, he ended up throwing it out into the hallway.

Where you are  
Where you and I can breathe together  
(and we will breathe together baby)  
Once again  
(oh, we'll be dancing in the moonlight)  
We'll be dancin in the moonlight  
Just like we used to be  
(and you'll be smilin back at me)  
And you'll be smilin back at me  
(only then will I be free)  
Then I will be free

He got up and walked out into the hallway to retrieve the pillow and once in his room again, he shut the door quietly. With the pillow still in his hands, he slid down the door, finally crashing onto the floor. Troy pulled his knees closer to his body and laid his head on his kneecaps, crying uncontrollably.

"Oh Gabriella…" Tears ran down his face like rivers and he found a picture of them on the floor beside her bedside table. Looking at it, he remembered that day…it was the day of their first wedding anniversary….they had gotten someone to take the picture along the ocean in New Jersey. _"It's beautiful.."_ he remembered her saying as she looked over the ocean horizon just as the sun set and the pinkish orange sky lit the boardwalk.

Baby I still believe  
Oh I've got to believe  
I will touch you that sweet day  
That you take me there  
Where you are  
I still believe  
Oh I've got to believe  
I will touch you that sweet day  
That you take me there  
Where you are  
Oh where you are  
I've got to believe  
I'll always be waiting here  
That sweet day yeah  
Only wanna be where you are  
I still believe

"I love you Gabriella…" he muttered in between cries. "I always will…"


End file.
